Het zomerpaleis Taman Ujung van de raja's van Karangasem 1900 - 1915

Johanna Hermina Marmelstein made this photograph of the Taman Ujung summer palace, somewhere, sometime. What a scene! I’m struck by how the building seems to float on the surface of the water, like an island palace that’s simultaneously solid and mirage. I imagine the photographer, with their bulky equipment, setting up to capture this perfect composition. They must have been drawn to the way the light catches on the water, creating a dance of reflections that mirror the architecture above. The surface of the water makes me wonder about other reflections, of other times and other artists, like Claude Monet. There’s such calm in this photograph, a stillness that invites contemplation. It's like a stage set for a play, or a painting! That captures the ephemeral beauty of a moment. It's through this silent exchange, across time and space, that art continues to inspire and enrich our lives.